Friday, August 3, 2012

A few months ago, Advisory Board member LouAnn Potter Smith was at an auction to raise money for Tulsa Glassblowing Studio. She admired a glass sculpture in the auction and flipped it over. “ Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club” was etched on the bottom. Kids from the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club took lessons from the studio last spring. Lou Ann was so excited that someone from our organization created the sculpture that she bought it and gave it to Major Jim Taylor to welcome him to Tulsa. He asked me to photograph it for the blog, then decided to go one step further. Who created the striking piece? I volunteered to find the artist and a few minutes later Jerome Smith, director of the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club walked into my office. I showed him the photograph and he shouted “That’s Charles’ sculpture!" Charles is the son of Jerome and Jean Smith, Boys and Girls Club’s administrative assistant.I know Charles well, because every year I count on him to be on a TV “Putt Off” to promote the Boys and Girls Club Golf Tournament. What’s great about Charles is that he is never nervous about being on TV. Also, he’s made several putts and he sometimes gives the anchors he competes with advice on their strokes. It makes for fun TV.

A few days after I found out that Charles had created the sculpture, he was in the Putt Off on KJRH-Channel 2 along with Maj. Taylor. Afterward, Maj. Taylor showed Charles the sculpture. Charles couldn’t have been more surprised. “That’s the one I made!” he shouted. When Maj. Taylor said he could keep it, he was thrilled. “It was hard to give it away, so I’m really glad to get it back,” Charles said. There’s nothing like a happy ending. -Sallie